1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to video distribution and specifically to image processing.
2. Related Art
Video sharing sites, such as the YOUTUBE site available from Google Inc., have achieved great popularity. For example, at the YOUTUBE site, over 6.1 million videos are watched more than 100 million times a day. In contrast to traditional broadcast video, users can select these online video from a browser at their leisure and watch them on-demand.
Despite widespread popularity of video sharing sites such as the YOUTUBE site, translating popularity into revenue has been problematic. In a 2007 regulatory filing, the YOUTUBE site's revenue was identified as “not material.” Since that time, the YOUTUBE site has posted text ads on a side panel of their webpage to attempt to capitalize on their popularity. While effective in earning some revenue, this method has shortcomings.
Because the text ads are positioned in a side panel and not within the video, a user may easily ignore them. Further, web developers may embed videos from video sharing sites into other websites. The other websites may display only the video and may not display the text ads. In this case, the video sharing site is burdened with storing and serving the video, while not receiving any advertising revenue.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,933 (“the '933 patent”) to Rosser et al., incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, describes a system that can place visual elements, such as advertisements, in video.
Systems and methods are therefore needed to insert visual elements, such as advertisements, into on-demand video.
In the drawings, like reference numbers may indicate identical or functionally similar elements.